“He’s nuts,” one member of the Net hierarchy said approvingly after watching the North Carolina All-America work out. “He just plays so hard.”

There were glowing reports about Hansbrough, who was part of the Nets’ final workout today.

“Think of a more athletic Charles Oakley,” one team exec said. “Not as physical but more athletic.”

Isn’t this exactly what the Nets crave? A rebounding interior moose who leads by example and floor burns, who goes all out and never quits?

Still, he probably won’t be the pick by the Nets at No. 11 Thursday in the NBA draft. Hansbrough, 6-9, 240, admitted he thinks he’s a good fit in New Jersey. And if you don’t think he has the necessary athleticism. . .

“That’s been kind of the knock on me ever since. I kind of laugh about it,” said Hansbrough, the all-time ACC leading scorer and the first person ever to be All-America and All-ACC first team four straight years. “”He’s not athletic’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, just get me in the gym and see what I do with what you guys call superior athletes.’ It’s kind of funny to me. Whatever you guys want to say, I’ll prove you wrong in the gym.”

You gotta love his attitude. Last year, Chris Douglas-Roberts admitted he had a chip on his shoulder about being drafted No. 40. Hansbrough’s got a redwood.

“People have doubted me my whole career. Whatever. I enjoy it,” Hansbrough said. “I like to win national championships. I played in college for four years because I loved it but I’m ready to take it to the next stage and prove some more people wrong. No one thought I was going to be a good college basketball player but I ended up the all-time leading scorer in ACC history, national champs so whatever.”

Hansbrough showed a nice jumper (and he get up on his shot). So, please, he asks, don’t judge him strictly on energy.

“Sometimes people overlook my skills. I’m a very good shooter and I do other good things besides just work hard,” he said.

* * *

Figure Terrence Williams, the all-purpose, do-it-all wing from Louisville rates as the Nets pick. Gerald Henderson, who had a call-back workout today, also is in the mix. Jonny Flynn, who attended today, didn’t work is on the short list but he figures to be gone when the Nets select.

Apparently, the NBA didn’t project Williams as a lottery pick. He was going to be home to Seattle and not in the green room on draft night waiting to shake David Stern’s hand. But later arrangements put him back aboard for tomorrow’s media availability session. Might as well keep him around another day.

Williams did not work out yesterday. He had suffered a sprained ankle Monday.

* * *

Flynn skipped the workout but met and chatted with the Nets brass. By mutual agreement, he was not going to work out after he cramped up in a previous workout with another team. If he felt fine this morning, he’d go. He didn’t. so he sat.

“My agent told me I was going to come in and meet with the front office people and meet people from the organization,” said Flynn, who said he has heard he’ll go anywhere from “4 to 14” on draft night.

“This is an unpredictable draft,” Flynn offered. “The only sure thing in this draft is Blake Griffin…You talk to anybody, they work out for seven or eight teams just to be comfortable and to touch all bases.”

* * *

So no Flynn, no Williams. That left Hansbrough working with Henderson, point guard Brandon Jennings (Italy) and Arizona State power forward Jeff Pendergraph.

“This one you could say was very intense,” said GM Kiki Vandeweghe, who called Hansbrough “very competitive.”

Kiki on Flynn: “We would have loved to see him compete. We’re big fans of his and he certainly has a body of work.”

* * *

Hansbrough likes the idea of the Nets: “I think I fit in really well here. I think I bring a lot to the table. My rebounding, the way I run the floor and slide my feet, my ability to get to the free throw line and my intensity, I think would help out any team but I think I fit in well here.”

* * *

Henderson caught an elbow or something and came up with a bloody nose. No, wasn’t Hansbrough getting payback for that famed broken schnozz against Duke and Henderson.